BATON ROUGE- State Representative Valarie Hodges sent a formal request for the New Orleans Saints' budget to be included on the agenda of the next Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget meeting.

The request comes after several Saints players sat in protest during the national anthem during their most recent game.

In a release Hodges said:

“I am for First Amendment rights, but there is a time and a place to protest. We will not tolerate blatant disregard for the flag and the lives of so many men and women who have died defending our country. I have to wonder, if they will not pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, who is their allegiance to?”

The next Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget meeting will be held at the end of October.